How Many Nights Should You Cruise the Nile?
Comparing the 4-day, 5-day and 8-day guided programmes, so you pick the right length for your trip.
The short answer
Most travellers spend three to seven nights cruising the Nile. All three of our guided programmes visit the same ten sites with a licensed Egyptologist and include every meal on board, so the real difference is time. Our most popular choice is four nights: the five-day Horus Holiday sees everything at an easy pace. If the cruise is the heart of your holiday, the eight-day Amun Adventure gives you a full week on the Nile at the lowest price per night. If you only have three nights, the four-day Osiris Odyssey fits it all in. Here is how the three compare.
Horus Holiday: 5 days, 4 nights (our most popular)
The Horus Holiday sails from Luxor to Aswan, Thursday to Monday. You see Karnak and Luxor Temple on the afternoon you board and the Valley of the Kings the next morning, then sail on to Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan, with a full day for the High Dam, Philae and a felucca. Your last morning is free, or you can add Abu Simbel at sunrise. From $1,399 per person, which is $350 a night.
Amun Adventure: 8 days, 7 nights (best value per night)
The Amun Adventure is the complete round trip from Luxor. Your first day is free, so you can arrive at any time, and two free days in Aswan leave room for Abu Simbel or simply the sun deck. You see everything the shorter cruises do at the most relaxed rhythm of all. From $1,699 per person, just $243 a night.
Osiris Odyssey: 4 days, 3 nights
The Osiris Odyssey sails from Aswan to Luxor, Monday to Thursday, and fits the same ten sites into three full days: the High Dam, Philae and a felucca on the day you board, Kom Ombo the next day, Edfu, Karnak and Luxor Temple together on day three, and the Valley of the Kings on the morning you fly home. Choose it when your dates allow only three nights. From $1,329 per person, which is $443 a night.
Which should you choose?
One more night costs $70 more per person in a double cabin than the Osiris Odyssey and takes the rush out of the busiest days. The Horus Holiday is our most popular cruise. If the cruise is the heart of your trip and you want to truly unwind, choose the Amun Adventure. Either way, check the best time to sail and read about life aboard the M/S City and Sea Adonis first. Planning to see Cairo too? See how many days you need in Egypt, or browse the full Nile cruise guide.
- Shortest: Osiris Odyssey, 4 days
- Longest: Amun Adventure, 8 days
- Most popular: Horus Holiday, 5 days
- Every programme: Guided tours + full board
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 3 nights enough for a Nile cruise?
It is enough to see the main sites, because the Osiris Odyssey visits the same ten as our longer programmes. The days are full, though: day three combines Edfu with Karnak and Luxor Temple, and the Valley of the Kings tour is on the morning you fly home. If you can add one night, the Horus Holiday sees the same sites at an easier pace for $70 more per person in a double cabin.
What is the difference between the programmes?
Not the sites: all three include the same ten guided visits and full-board dining. The longer programmes add nights on the Nile, an easier pace and free time (a free last morning on the Horus Holiday, a free first day and two free days in Aswan on the Amun Adventure), and they cost less per night: $443 for three nights, $350 for four and $243 for seven, in a double cabin.
Can I add Abu Simbel or a hot air balloon?
Yes. Optional excursions such as Abu Simbel and a sunrise hot air balloon over Luxor can be added to any programme. Just ask our team when you book.